Effectiveness of virtual labs in teaching chemical reactions in 9th-grade chemistry
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33830/ijrse.v8i1.13776Keywords:
academic achievement, Challenges, Effectiveness, Virtual labAbstract
The objective of this study is to explore students' perceptions about virtual lab applications and examine the effect of using virtual labs on their academic performance. The study employed a convergent parallel mixed-method approach. Employing a quasi-experimental design, the study was carried out in a Bhutanese school with 71 ninth-grade students from two sections (A and B). The participants were divided into an experimental group (n=35), which used virtual labs and a control group (n=36), which received conventional instruction. In addition, five students from the experimental group were purposively selected for semi-structured interviews to gather in-depth qualitative data. A pre-test and post-test were administered to each group. The quantitative data was analyzed using Cohen's d effect size and t-tests, while the qualitative data was analyzed thematically. Pre-test results showed no significant differences between the groups, indicating comparable baseline knowledge. While the control group showed no significant improvement, the experimental group demonstrated a significant difference in post-test scores (p < .001, Cohen’s d = 3.81). Interview findings revealed that students found virtual labs engaging, interactive, and beneficial for understanding abstract concepts. They appreciated the flexibility, accessibility, and cost-effectiveness of virtual labs. However, technical issues such as unstable internet connectivity posed challenges that impacted the learning experience and data accuracy. Therefore, this study recommends that relevant stakeholders provide professional training prior to the implementation of virtual lab applications in teaching. It also encourages future researchers to replicate similar study across other subjects to evaluate the effectiveness of this approach
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